1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle glove box, and, more particularly, to a vehicle glove box in which a rotary-type partition is received to divide the interior of the glove box in a simplified manner while ensuring easy movement of the partition to its operating and rest positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle glove box includes a box body 10 having a predetermined interior space, and a locking handle 30 fixed to the front surface of the box body 10. The box body 10 is hinged, at lower ends of opposite lateral surfaces thereof, to a crash pad in a location close to a right lower end of the crash pad.
Specifically, the box body 10 of the conventional glove box is horizontally hinged to pivotally rotate upward or downward. Such a configuration is helpful to increase the space utility of a passenger compartment.
However, the conventional vehicle glove box has a problem in that items stored in the glove box tend to easily leave their positions and become mixed up while a vehicle is traveling, more particularly, in the case of vehicle cornering.
To solve the above problem, conventionally, a glove box having a partition 20 had been developed and used. To install the partition 20 in the box body 10, as shown in FIG. 2, the box body 10 is provided with a horizontal slender rod 11 having a constant diameter. Correspondingly, the partition 20 has a fitting hole 21 for the passage of the horizontal rod 11. The horizontal rod 11 is hinged at opposite ends thereof to the crash pad, and horizontally penetrates through the box body 10. When the horizontal rod 11 is inserted through the fitting hole 21 of the partition 20, the horizontal rod 11 serves to guide the sliding movement of the partition 20. Through the use of both the horizontal rod 11 and the partition 20, the interior space of the box body 10 is divided in a desired manner.
The box body 10 of the conventional glove box is further provided with a plurality of fixing recesses 12. Correspondingly, the partition 20 has a holding protrusion 22 configured to be selectively inserted into any one of the fixing recesses 12. The fixing recesses 12 are equidistantly arranged in the longitudinal direction of the box body 10 along the lower end of the front surface of the box body 10. If the holding protrusion 22 of the partition 20 is caught by one of the fixing recesses 12, the partition 20 stops a sliding motion thereof and is fixed at a location on the horizontal rod 11 of the box body 10. As a result, the interior space of the box body 10 is divided into two parts each having a desired volume.
The partition 20 is formed, at a rear upper end thereof, with the fitting hole 21 so that the horizontal rod 11 of the box body 10 penetrates therethrough. With the use of the fitting hole 21, the partition 20 is adapted to be horizontally fitted to the rod 11 of the box body 10 in an upstanding state. Thereby, the partition 20 is able to longitudinally slide along the horizontal rod 11 within the interior space of the box body 10.
Also, the partition 20 is formed at a front lower end thereof with the holding protrusion 22 so that the holding protrusion 22 is caught by one of the corresponding fixing recesses 12. Thereby, if the holding protrusion 22 is selectively inserted into any one of the plurality of fixing recesses 12, the partition 20 is able to be fixed at a desired position.
However, the conventional glove box having the above-described partition has a problem in that the installation/removal of the partition is difficult. To install the partition at a desired position, the partition should be repeatedly fit into or released from the fixing recesses 12 one by one while being slid along the horizontal rod. Thus, the partition can reach the desired position only after completing many troublesome manual operations.
Furthermore, the holding protrusion of the conventional partition tends to be easily separated from the fixing recess due to vibrations generated while the vehicle is traveling, thereby causing an unintentional separation of the partition. The separated partition makes noise by collision of the items placed in the box body, and may cause damage to those items.